The Staples Wreckers boys basketball team was able to hold off the Harding High School Presidents 52-45 at home Friday night. The Wreckers now have an 8-3 FCIAC record and 9-4 overall record.

Captain Gabe Seidman ’11 led all Wrecker scorers with 17 points, and Mike Argosh ’12 and captain Jake Felman ’11 contributed 14 and 9 points respectively for Staples, who raced out to a 40-21 halftime lead.  A combination of tight defense, forced turnovers, great ball control, and excellent outside shooting allowed Staples to take control.

However, Harding started to come back in the second half, particularly in the fourth quarter where they cut the lead down to as little as five points. The Presidents created turnovers and hit key outside shots to bring themselves closer to the Wreckers.

Staples was able to hold off the Harding offense from coming any closer in the final minutes, and Seidman hit two free throws at the end to effectively end the Presidents’s comeback bid.

The Wreckers are currently on a four game winning streak and will look to continue this against Trumbull on the road Feb. 1.